Aeva unveils world's first 4D lidar with camera-grade resolution

Aeva, the world's leading developer of perception systems, has launched a 4D lidar, the Aeries II. The lidar sensor has automotive-grade reliability, enabling what the company calls "the next wave of automation across automotive, industrial and other applications."

Based on Aeva's frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) technology and the first lidar chip module design, the sensor detects the fourth dimension of the instantaneous velocity of each scan point in addition to the three-dimensional position. Aeva's 4D perception software enables new capabilities such as 4D localization and "super-resolution," a camera-grade imagery with up to 20 times the resolution of conventional lidar sensors, the company said.

Key features of the 4D LiDAR Aeries II include:

 - Camera-grade super-resolution: It uses Aeva's proprietary raw 4D data to provide real-time camera-grade images with up to 1000 lines per frame, with no motion blur for static scenes.

 - Instantaneous velocity at ultra-long distances: Aeva's 4D lidar measures the instantaneous velocity of each pixel in addition to 3D position, enabling automated vehicles and machines to sense the location of objects and know precisely where they are moving over a distance of 500 meters speed.

 - LiDAR chip technology: The new design eliminates all fiber optics and integrates all critical LiDAR components onto silicon photonics, in a compact module for reliable and scalable production.

 - Automotive Grade Reliability: Features automotive grade ratings for ingress, shock, thermal, shock and vibration to ensure optimum performance in a wide range of road and environmental conditions.

 - Versatility: The compact design is one-quarter the size of the previous generation, allowing multiple integration options, with real-time configurable maximum range, field of view and scan mode for a wide range of autonomous applications.

 Mina Rezk, co-founder and CTO of Aeva commented: "Aeva's FMCW technology has inherent advantages, such as instantaneous velocity detection at every point, which allows us to offer our customers several Key breakthroughs, such as super-resolution and 4D localization, were not possible until today. Aeries II provides our customers with a new level of perception to help automated vehicles and machines make safer, more Smart decisions."

 Shawn Kerrigan, COO and co-founder of Autonomy truck developer Plus, commented: "Adding Aeva's 4D lidar to our state-of-the-art long-range perception system provides an additional layer of redundancy. Valuable instant speed detection. We are excited to partner with Aeva to commercialize and deploy our self-driving technology globally."